Corkscrew



2- Sheets-Sheet 1. J. PITT.

CORKSOREW.

(No Model.)

Patnted Aug. 15, 1882.

| I l I I,

||||| x- LR i I. l n/ 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. PITT'.

GORKSGREW.

(No Model.)

No. 262,613. Patented Aug. 15, 1882.

UNITED TATES Arnnfr JOSEPH PITT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO TRUMAN I. DOANE, OF SAME PLACE.

CORKSCREW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 262,613, dated August 15, 1882,

Application filet] July 6, 1882.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH Prrr, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and a resident of Brooklyn, county ot' Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gorkscrews, (for which I have obtained a patent in Great Britain, N o. 4,463, dated October 13,1881,')ot' which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ot' reference marked thereon. y

My invention has relation to devices for extracting corks from bottles, Snc., commonly known as corkscrews; and the objects of my improvements are to provide means for facilitating the insertion of the screw into the cork, whereby the screw is driven rapidly and certainly and without the necessity of twisting the handle, as in the ordinary forms of corkscrews, and to provide for the equally rapid and easy removal of the cork from the screw (without the necessity of twisting or turning the handle) after said cork is withdrawn from the bottle.

To accomplish these objects and to produce a strong, durable, and handy implement my improvements involve certain novel and useful peculiarities of construction and relative arrangements or combinations of parts, all of which will be herein first fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication, Figure l is a side elevation of a corkscrew constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention, the full lines indicating the implement in position for use, and the dotted lines showing the position to which the parts are forced when the screw is driven into the cork. Fig. 2 is a vertical sect'ion upon a plane perpendicular to that of Fig. 1, showing the initial and iinal position of the parts by full and dotted lines corresponding with thoseof Fig. 1. Fig.3 is an ele- Vation of a form of corkscrew which may be used instead of the form shown in previous gures, being within the scope of my invention, and differing from the first form only in the distance between the standards and in (No model.) Patented in England October 13, 1881, No. 4,463.

guiding the cross-bar at the ends instead of at the sides; and Fig. LIis a perspective view of the implement shown in Figs. l and 2.

In all these figures like lettersl of reference, wherever they occur, indicate corresponding parts.

Arepresents the screw which is to be driven into a cork, and by which the cork is to be extracted or withdrawn fromits seat. This screw is made after any of the usual patterns employed in ordinary forms ot corkscrews. It generally has what is called a right twist, so that it will enter the cork upon being turned from left to right; but it may be made with a left7 twist if the attached stem be likewise reversed, so as to insure the proper movement.

Upon the screw Ais a stem, B, connected by any preferred means, or made a part or prolongation of screw lA. The stem B moves through a box or cap, O, interiorly threaded to correspond with the threads upon B, and this box is connected with the handle or handpiece D by side bars or standards, E E.

Upon the upper end of stem B is a crossbar, F, guided by the standards E E, which may bear upon the sides of the cross-bar, as in Figs. 1 and 2, or upon the ends thereof, as in Fig. 3.

The thread upon the stein or the twist therein is formed in any suitable way, and in direction is the reverse of the twist in the screw A. In inclination this thread or twist is such as to insure an easy movement, and such thatit will impart to screw A as many turns as may be necessary to firmly seat it in the cork while the box or cap C travels the length of the stem.

The parts being so constructed and arranged, the implement is operated as follows: The screw A and its attached stem are drawn down so that the cross-bar F shall reaclr or nearly reach the box C. The handle H is seized in such manner that the rst two ingers may extend down and bear upon the top of bar F, so as to steady it and the whole implement. The point of screw A is then driven a little way into the cork, (represented at G,) the fingers turn in the hand,) the box C compels the threaded stem B to turn, and thus insures the turning of screw A into the cork. The implement is then in the position shown b the dotted lines in Figs.l and 2. The crossar is then seized by the fingers (reaching around the handle) and the cork withdrawn from its seat. To disen gage the cork from the screw it is only necessary to release the cross-bar, and by pulling upon the cork cause the screw to unturn as the stem travels down through the box. In this way the cork is rapidly detached and the implement left in position for immediate use.

The facility with which the screw may beinserted and removed from the cork and the advantage of driving the screw by a direct thrust rather than turning it, as has heretofore been done, are characteristics ot' the improved implement which recommend it for general use, and especially for use in cases where a considerable number of corks are to be drawn.

A little practice will enable any one to'use the improved device to great advantage, and the operator will discover that by pulling up upon the cross-bar at the same time as pushing down upon the handle the insertion of the screw will be accomplished without difficulty and with greater ease than by pushing down upon the handle alone. rlhe cross-bar is of course not intended to turn. The stem may therefore be stepped in the cross-bar in any suitable way.

I have found that the two washers a and b, of brass or other suitable material, embedded in the cross-bar, as shown in Fig. 2, render the movements easy and prevent undue wear. As will bereadilyunderstood, these washers might be dispensed with; or either one might be used without the other; or other equivalent means might be adopted for reducing the friction at this point.

As before indicated, the form shown in Fig. 3 is different from the other forms only in minor details of arrangement. Both forms have been advantageously employed, but that shown in Fig. l is preferred, because of its greater compactness. In both forms the corkscrew and the stem are threaded in reverse directions, and the construction of the implement is such as to insure ease of insertion in the cork and raf pidity of disengagement therefrom, being essentially different from that class of corkscrews intended to facilitate the withdrawal of the cork from the bottle, and wherein the screw is inserted by turningof thehandle and the screw, and its stem of necessity threaded in the same direction. In the old form alluded to the cork is extracted by 'continuin g the turning of the handle, whereas in myimproved form a direct pull is required, same as in the simplest form of corkscrews.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a corkscrew, the threaded or twisted stem carrying the pointed screw for entering the cork, the two parts being twisted or threaded in opposite directions, substantially as shown,

land for the purposes set forth.

2. The threaded or twisted stem, the reversel y threaded or twisted screw mounted thereon or forming a part thereof, and the cross-piece mounted upon the top ofthe stem, these parts being combined and arranged substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The handle, the twisted or threaded stem, the box connected with said handle, and the reversely-twisted screw, all combined substantially as shown, and for the purposes set forth.

4f. In a corkscrew of the character herein set forth, the combination, with the threaded stem carrying the reversely-threaded screw, of the cross-piece mounted thereon and prevented from turning by the guides or standards which connect the box with the handle, substantially as set forth.

5. The herein described improved corkscrew, composed of the threaded or twisted stem, the reversely threaded or twisted screw, the box connected with the handle, and the cross-bar, all arranged substantially as explained, so that by pushing down upon the handle the screw is turned into the cork, in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

Witness my hand this 23d day ofJune, 1882.

JOSEPH PITT. 

